Albert ball



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT BALL, OF CLAREMONT, NEIV HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO THE SULLIVANMACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SWIVEL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,503, dated August11, 1891.

. Application filed September 19, 1889. Serial No. 324,394. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT BALL, a citizen of theUnited States, residingat Olaremont,in the county of Sullivan and State of New 5 Hampshire,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swivel-Joints; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

tirely worn out, when it can be removed and replaced by another.

I have for a further object the production of the swivel-joint, in whichthere can be no 25 possibility of a leak occurring, for the reason thatthe perfection of the joint proper depends in a measure upon thesteam-pressure, all as I will describe hereinafter.

For a better comprehension of my inven- 0 tion attention is invited tothe accompanying drawing, in which the figure shows a sectional View,partly in elevation, of my invention.

C represents the journal-piece, provided at its lower end with ascrew-threaded portion, 3 5 with which the extension F of the pipeengages. Ihave shown this extension as being an elbow, but it will beevident that it may be a straight piece of pipe. The top of thejournal-piece is provided with an integral 4o flange, having an inclinedbearing-face c on its outside. I have found by practice that the properincline for this bearing-face should be forty-five degrees, but this maybe varied at will. Directly beneath this incline I place a 5 packing E,which may be introduced on the journal-piece over its lower end. Thispacking is also provided with an incline bearingface d, made with anincline corresponding to that of the face 0. The packingE is of a semi-5o yielding character, and can be made of almost any of the so-calledsoft metals now on the market, or any equivalent material. Directlybeneath the bearing-piece d is a sleeve G, made, preferably, of Babbittmetal. Over this sleeve I place a j acket-piece D, made with itsinterior diameter to correspond to the sleevepiece. The upper part ofthis jacket-piece D is internally screw-threaded and engages with thelower portion of a cover B,having a shoulder which bears on the upperend of the j ournal-piece C. This cover-pieceisscrew-threaded at itsupper end and engages with the main portion of the pipe. At the lowerend of the jacket D, I place a flanged washer f, which is held in placeagainst the top of the piece F. Encircling the jacket D is a spiralspring A, which bears on its lower end against the washer f and at itsupper end against a shoulder on the jacket-piece. This spring, by itstension, will therefore tend to separate the washer and the jacket, andthis will cause the sleeve G to be forced up against the packing E, andthe two inclined shoulders c and (1' will be brought together so as toform a joint at that portion. It will now be seen that the journal-piececan be rotatedwithin the sleeve G and the packing-piece E and thatendwise all wear will be taken up by said packing. It will be furtherseen that as the packing is worn the spiral spring A will advance thejacket-piece and sleeve and cause the packing to be kept continuallyagainst the shoulder '0 of the journal; and it will be further i seenthat as the packing-piece is worn and the shoulder of the cover B isretreated from the upper end of the journal the steam in pressingbetween these two portions will assist the spring in holding thebearing-piece against the shoulder, so that as the steampressure withinthe pipe is increased the pressure of the bearing-piece on the inclinewill be proportionately greater, so that no leak can occur at thatpoint.

I have found that by making the upper portion of the journal inclined,as I have shown, the bearing-piece in being forced against the same iscaused to expand slightly, so as to force itself tightly against thelateral wall of the cover portion, and by this means there can be nopossibility whatever of the steam leaking past the bearing-piece. Whenthe bearing-piece is entirely worn, it can be removed by unscrewing. theportion F from the journal and then removing the j acketpiece and thesleeve. Y

I am aware that each section of a hosecoupling has been provided with aninterior thimble having a flange with an inclined wall and apacking-ring bearing against said incline, the two sections beingprovided with springs intended to take up the; wear of the rings, andsuch matter I do not claim. In such construction there is no pipe,thimble, or the like surrounding the joint of the packing-ring, and itis liable to leak, nor can the steam co-operate with the springs withoutopening said joint. In my construction the coupling consists,essentially, of two members, as C and B D, one of which enters the otherand is provided with an exteriorflange adapt ed to bear on one end ofthe interposed packing and constituting a stop therefor. A correspondingbearing or stop, preferably a sleeve G, is provided in the space betweensaid members and at the end of the packing opposite said flange. thecoupling are capable of endwise motion one upon the other to press saidhearing or stops upon the packing, and the spring is adapted to producesuchmotion and pressure. Further, if said members be moved lengthwise,the joint at the end of the inner member adjacent to the packing isopened, whereby steam co-operates with the spring. The escape of steamis eifectually guarded against by these devices.

I am also aware that a spring, a-washer, and a stuifing-piece have beeninterposed between the parts of acoupling, the arrangement being suchthat the spring tended to move the said parts longitudinally one uponthe other and to compress the packing. In my construction the spring islocated on the outside of the coupling, and all of the chamber betweenthe members of the coupling not occupied by the packingis filled with asleeve of Babbitt metal, so that no empty space is left for the entranceor escape of steam. This sleeve also receives the circumferential wearand can be replaced when worn. Without such interposed sleeve adapted toreceive the The said members of wear the action of friction upon thepacking, which is kept hot in use, is to cause it to ruck and wearoutquickly. The sleevewall being made gradually thinner toward the endopposite the packing insures a tight joint, the jacket being interiorlyfashioned to fit it closely.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and wishto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A coupling having two members movable endwise one within the otherand provided with a closed annular space between them, a packing and asleeve in said space and filling the same, and a spring bearing on theexterior of each member and tending to compress the packing, the wall ofsaid sleeve being made gradually thinner toward the end opposite thepacking and fitted by the exterior member of the coupling, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In. a swivel-joint for steam-pipes, the combination of ajournal-piece 0, provided with an inclined shoulder c, a cover portionB, surrounding the same, a softmetal packing E beneath the said shoulderand within said covered piece, and a spiral spring for pressing saidpacking against the incline'of .the journal and the interior of thecover, substantially as set forth.

3. In a swivel-joint for steam-pipes, the combination of thejournal-piece 0, having an incline c thereon, a cover B, surrounding thesame, a soft-metal packing E, bearing against said incline and withinthe cover 13, a sleeve G beneath the packing and surround ing thejournal-piece, a jacket '1), engaging with the cover B, surrounding saidsleeve, a washer f below said jacket, and a spiral spring surroundingsaid jacket, bearing against a shoulder thereon and against said washer,all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence'of two witnesses.

ALBERT BALL. \Vitnesses:

GEo. 0. BALL, ARTHUR I. GoonELL.

